Mrs. Charlotte Lamar summoned Patrolman William Riley from the 135th street station to her brother, John Perry's apartment. She complained that having been heavily drinking for some time, Perry was creating a disturbance. Upon arriving at Perry's home, the Patrolmen alleged that Perry rushed at him with a kitchen knife and forced him to shoot Perry. Perry was subsequently taken to Harlem Hospital in a serious condition. Perry's relatives maintain that "the cop could have used a less drastic method in dealing with a drunken man" such as a "nightstick".